"I can actually trigger a side quest?!" Su Cheng felt a burst of excitement in his heart.
Absorbing the first soul ring in advance was already part of his plan, and he was ninety percent confident about it. This was a crucial step in his future plan to destroy the Martial Soul Hall.
From choosing the talent "Medical Genius" at the beginning, to spending a significant amount of time studying medicine at the age of three, and now, finally, the time had come for him to reap the rewards.
...
"Are you really sure about this?" Chen Xin's expression was one of shock upon hearing Su Cheng's request.
He never expected that this child would want to hunt soul beasts that were over 650 years old for his first soul ring.
You see, theoretically, the limit for absorbing the first soul ring is only 423 years. This wasn't just a random statement; it was the result of countless years of experimentation by numerous top powers.
While there might be a few individuals who could surpass this limit, he didn't think his adopted son, with an innate soul power of only 0.5, was one of them.
"Father, the limit for soul masters to absorb soul rings exists because the body can't handle it when the ring is integrated. Take a level ten soul master, for example. The physical quality limit is there, and it can't handle soul rings with higher ages. But without absorbing soul rings, it's impossible to break through the physical bottleneck." Su Cheng patiently explained to Chen Xin.
"Over these years, my study of medicine and the human body hasn't been in vain. There are many acupoints in the human meridians.
"Some of these special acupoints, when stimulated, can greatly enhance the efficiency of energy absorption in the meridians for a short period of time, while also tapping into the body's potential. Combined with some relatively gentle medicinal liquids, it's entirely possible to achieve a short-term increase in the body's limits.
"After absorbing the soul ring, the energy feedback will be enough to compensate for the excessive consumption during this short period."
Chen Xin still found it somewhat unbelievable.
Over these years, Su Cheng had quietly practiced, and he never expected him to reach this point.
Su Cheng looked earnestly at him. "Father, you must help me this time. Whether I can join the Martial Soul Hall depends on this."
"What did you say? Join the Martial Soul Hall?" Chen Xin's brows furrowed even tighter. He could probably guess what Su Cheng wanted to do.
"Of course. I've been working towards this goal since birth. I recognize my lack of talent and naturally need to find another way. Father, the Martial Soul Hall has caused suffering for too long. Will you support me?" Su Cheng declared confidently.
Chen Xin sighed deeply.
Since Su Cheng began training at the age of three, it had been nearly six years. He had witnessed all of Su Cheng's efforts.
How could he not seek vengeance for his parents' grudge? Chen Xin didn't know how to advise him.
"I will inform the Sect Master about this matter, and we'll wait for his decision. But, Cheng'er," Chen Xin looked into Su Cheng's eyes solemnly, "your life is still long. Don't let hatred blind you."
Hearing this, Su Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
The position of Sect Master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had already been taken over by Ning Fengzhi.
If it were Chen Xin, he might have stopped him from taking risks due to family ties. But Ning Fengzhi was likely to prioritize interests. As long as Su Cheng had enough ability, he wouldn't stop him.
Thinking of this, a brilliant smile appeared on Su Cheng's face. "Don't worry, Father, I will definitely become a good person in the future!"
As expected, when Ning Fengzhi arrived, although he offered some advice, he ultimately agreed to Su Cheng's request to absorb the soul ring in advance. However, it was evident that he didn't fully believe that Su Cheng could accomplish it, so he insisted on accompanying them on the soul beast hunt.
[Main Quest·Second Phase Completed.]
[Main Quest·Third Phase: Infiltration.
Quest: Join the Martial Soul Hall and gain trust and recognition.
Reward: Increase the final settlement bonus based on the completion of the mission.]
"Cheng'er, are you really going to absorb the soul of this 630-year-old scale beast?"
This time, there were no other subordinates accompanying the soul beast hunt. Only Su Cheng, Chen Xin, and Ning Fengzhi were present.
At this moment, the 630-year-old scale beast had already been finished off by Su Cheng's blade, and its yellow soul ring was on display for everyone. All that was left was for him to step forward and absorb it.
For Su Cheng, it didn't matter what kind of soul beast the first soul ring came from or what soul skill it could provide. This time, he absorbed the soul ring in advance just to prove his theory.
Choosing this scale beast was simply because its age was suitable.
"Of course, we've come this far."
"Is your method really going to work?" Chen Xin still seemed somewhat uneasy and asked again for confirmation.
"Don't worry, Father, I'm confident."
Su Cheng stepped forward, first taking out a bottle of liquid from the soul device and applying it all over his body. Then, he took out silver needles, one by one, and inserted them into nineteen acupuncture points on his body.
The effects of this series of preparatory actions were immediate.
His body's potential was instantly stimulated, his breath circulated more smoothly through his meridians, the narrow energy pathways were widened by more than double, and even his physical strength increased significantly in that moment.
"Now comes the most crucial step. If this really succeeds, it can increase the success rate of the entire plan by at least thirty percent!"
Taking a deep breath, Su Cheng sat cross-legged on the ground and summoned the mutated martial soul he named "Broken Sword." With the martial soul's guidance, the soul ring floated in front of him and was placed on the broken sword martial soul, full of cracks.
The tremendous force rushed toward him like scorching lava, relentlessly squeezing into the narrow passageway without giving him any time to prepare.
Fortunately, the acupuncture points he had pierced earlier widened and softened the meridians, otherwise, with just this impact, he would likely have exploded.
After resisting the first impact, he felt that his resistance had improved slightly compared to before. The liquid on his body continued to penetrate into his body, silently repairing his injured body.
Time passed bit by bit... Finally.
The tingling sensation in his meridians disappeared, replaced by a warm and continuous flow of energy throughout his body, extremely refreshing.
Seeing Su Cheng open his eyes, with a yellow soul ring swirling around his martial soul.
[Subquest completed. Reward: Enhancement of physical aptitude.]
Ning Fengzhi was completely shocked. "It actually succeeded... It exceeded the theoretical limit of the soul ring's age by two hundred years, and this is just the first soul ring..."
After the shock came intense joy. It seemed he could already see the invitation from the continent's number one sect.
"Cheng'er, how do you feel? Is there anything uncomfortable?" Unlike Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin's primary concern was Su Cheng's safety.
"No problem, Father. I feel extremely good now." Su Cheng clenched his fist and carefully observed the changes in his martial soul.
Turning to both of them, he continued, "This time, with the advanced absorption, my soul power level has been raised to over twelve, close to thirteen. And with the energy feedback, there are no risks whatsoever from the previous stimulating method."
"Excellent, absolutely excellent!" Even with Ning Fengzhi's composure, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Is this method applicable to others?" he asked Su Cheng, his face full of anticipation.
"Of course, it can be widely used. After all, even someone like me, with a mere 0.5-level innate soul power, could succeed." Su Cheng said casually, not hiding his talent deficiency.
Just as Ning Fengzhi was about to offer words of comfort, Su Cheng's next sentence left him dumbfounded on the spot.
"Master, I plan to popularize this technique throughout the entire continent."